Love in Unusual Places
by thehotmageaeris
Summary: This is my first one, go easy on me please. An AerisSephy one. What happens when an eleven year old Aeris meets Seph and the effect on Sephiroth. Chapter 3 up now, people, Enjoy
1. Default Chapter

Love In Unusual Places  
  
Chapter One  
  
Waking up early on a Saturday morning usually made me cranky, but today being the day of the dance for our school, I was out of bed before dawn. I went through my closet, tossing my unwanted clothes over my shoulder repeatingly, searching for my long violet skirt. I finally found it along with my white fleece sweater. I picked out a matching violet top and decided to wear my regular black boots. I took a shower while I thought. I wonder why Scott would ask me to the dance? I continuously thought. He is the most popular boy at school and I am considered a freak.  
  
Just yesterday, Scott had came to me house. I wondered why until he asked me if I would go with him to the school dance being held at the church. At my school near the Slums, I was an out cast. Sure I got good grades and I tried hard at mainly anything but everyone thought I was different, strange, or I had problems. Scott used to be the biggest bully, what had changed him?  
  
I finished taking my shower and got dressed. I quickly ran down the stairs at my house after tying a violet ribbon in my long, braided, dishwater- blonde hair. (some say it looks like the color of Autumn.) I ate a few pancakes I made, waking up my only guardian, my step mother. She was very kind to me and never treated me poorly.  
  
"My, *Yawn* , you're sure up early." She said, still in her robe, "You look so beautiful, too."  
  
"Thank you" I said looking down at what I was wearing. She had bought me this outfit a month ago for my eleventh birthday.  
  
"I'm off to the dance mother!" I said as I ran out the door.  
  
"Have a great time, sweety!" she replied.  
  
It was already a quarter after ten, Scott still didn't show. He promised me he'd be here by ten. I had arrived here about fifteen till ten. What if he doesn't show up? I thought silently. A small tear was about to fall but I wiped it away, I was not about to give my hopes up just yet. So, I waited.  
  
An hour had past. I gave up. He had pulled the most embarrassing trick on me yet. I began to cry as I picked myself up from the church steps and started down them. The music boomed out of the church door behind me along with laughter that faded from the music. I began to run from the front of the church, out of the peoples sight. I carelessly tripped over an empty pop can and hit the dirt hard. I stayed there, afraid to get up, and I cried.  
  
I watched the ground as I went through a long alleyway. I suddenly heard faint yelling and gun firing from the corner up ahead, but before I could look up.Bamm! I was knocked hard to the ground and was toppled by someone.  
  
"Hey, you big Jerk! I am tired of your stupid pranks! Leave me alo.." I started to say but stopped when I noticed that who I thought was Scott, wasn't. A tall boy with long shiny silver hair that reached his waist quickly stood up and looked surprised. I stood up and brushed myself off. "Excuse me, I thought you were someone.."  
  
" I am sorry! I did not mean to.." The boy began, as our eyes met. His eyes were the purest green I had ever seen. They shone like brilliant turquoise just like mine, this was the first time I'd seen these eyes out of a mirror. The boy looked about five years older than me and seemed strangely handsome. I almost gasped but before either one of us could say or do anything we were cut of by someone yelling from behind the boy.  
  
"Excuse me, you should leave as well or both of us will be killed!" The boy said as he grabbed my arm. He led me up the stairs of some old building until we reached the roof. He looked around frantically before he ran over and jumped into a large air shaft.  
  
I landed in the air shaft with a soft thump. Feeling the smooth, but dusty, steal floor, it was very cold. I felt something brush up against me and grab me, pulling me out of the light that flowed in from the opening of the air shaft. I gave out a little shriek but a hand quickly covered my mouth. The warmth of the hand reassured me and made me realize it was just the teenager. As soon as that accrued we heard voices from the opening of the airduct.  
  
" I thought I heard something, let's check up here" One of them, a male with a rugged voice, suggested," he could not have gotten far"  
  
"The sooner we find him the sooner Hojo will shut his mouth" Another said.  
  
"Be quiet and follow me" the boy said.  
  
Trying to get into a crawling position, my hand slipped on the shaft floor, causing a large cloud of dust to shoot up. I couldn't stop myself from sneezing.  
  
" Achoo!"  
  
"What the hell was that?! It came from over there!" Someone had heard.  
  
"Probably a damn rat" A mellow voiced man said, causing both the boy and me to sigh in relief.  
  
We started to move through the darkness ,I was careful to not get lost behind the boy. He constantly turned around to make sure I was still there. We made a few turns though the shaft, then we went down a six foot drop. From there on we went straight, making only a right turn. Before long, we had reach a light and as we got closer I realized it was our exit. The boy kicked out the screen that covered it and jumped down. He reached up and gently helped me down to the ground.  
  
The moment my feet touched the ground I looked up at his face. I caught his eye and I continued looking into his hypnotic gaze. It had seemed that we both blushed and looked away. As he let my arm go he finally spoke up again.  
  
"I am sorry, but they were dangerous. I must go this way" he said pulling out a gun from his belt as he scanned the area.  
  
" Hey, I head that way too" I said throwing on a smile. "To my house. My name is Aeris." I held out my hand to shake with him.  
  
"You are bold to announce your name to someone you do not even know. Yet, excuse my rudeness, Sephiroth." He professed as he took my hand and gave a quick shake.  
  
"What is going on, I mean with those people chasing you and who are they?" I asked pointing over the building.  
  
"Long story, but I tell it anyway if we get going." He replied. "I guess you can say I am, or was, guinea pig all my life to Shinra. The leading scientist, Hojo, has tortured me, giving me countless shots per day, making me exercise until I cant move and still made me work through hundreds of tests every single day until I manage to take out my guards and escape and I have gotten this far. Those guys are a special group called the Turks, they do all of Shinras dirty work. Their job is to hunt me down and bring me back to Hojo." He turned to me with a solemn look upon his face. "Please, you would not turn me in would you?"  
  
"That's horrible, of course I wouldn't. By the way, thanks for saving me. They would have wanted to capture me as well." I said half to myself.  
  
"Really, what is the reason they are after you? You are not wanted or anything are you?" He asked.  
  
"Well, I'm sort of different than other people and, well, they say they need me. So that they can reached the Promised Lands." I answered.  
  
"What are the Promised Lands?" Sephiroth inquired.  
  
"Well, I don't know really, I know it can not be found anywhere by normal people. I have only heard about it in stories my real mother used to tell me." I stated solemnly, "It's no big deal."  
  
"Well, I think they'll be too busy worrying about me to want to capture you at the time being." He seemed very serious. We walked through several allies until we reached my small bucolic neighborhood. We quickly jogged through it and around a house and one of the many mountains of steel and concrete until we reached my front yard.  
  
"Nice house, you even have a garden. Well, I guess this is goodbye, Aeris." He said as he waved and turned to leave.  
  
"Hey, wait! Uh, do you want to come in?" I asked Sephiroth. I could sense no hostility in the young man but only a sad past, I had empathy for him and knew somehow that he wouldn't threaten me. I couldn't help but offer him some hospitality. "I mean, if you are being chased, you should at least have a soda."  
  
" I can not say no to that!" Sephiroth said as he walked up the steps of my house.  
  
I looked through the fridge, looking for a few cokes. I continued to rummage through the fridge until I found one and a lemon lime drink. I frowned as I turned around to see Sephiroth sitting at the counter.  
  
" Which one do you like?" I asked holding up his two choices. "Lemon lime or coke?  
  
"I do not know, which one tastes better?" He answered making a funny face. "I have only had pop once and it was like. eleven years ago when Professor Gast took care of me. He was the only one who ever treated me like a human being but he died when I was six and left me with Hojo."  
  
"They really do torture you don't they" I sulked as I handed him the coke. "I would hate to live like that. Have you ever had Ice cream? So you are seventeen? I'm only eleven, my birthday was a month ago. "  
  
"Really. Well happy belated birthday." He replied.  
  
I rushed back to the fridge and pulled out the Chunky Fudge Chocolate Ice cream and threw it onto the counter next to my pop. He stared at it bewilderedly and examined it as if it were a new life form.  
  
"I figured," I said smiling. "want some?"  
  
"okay" he said coolly as I scooped the Ice cream into two bowls. I slid one of them over his way with a spoon. I watched him take a bite slowly and shivered and then smile. He then began to devour it like an animal.  
  
"Careful! You will get a brain freeze if you eat that fast." I informed him giving out a little chuckle. Luckily my mother was at work, selling Materia, so she wouldn't be home until eight. I smiled as he slowed up a little. Then I began to eat my ice cream gracefully compared to Sephiroth.  
  
When we finished I washed the dishes and put them up as I explained what happened today, I couldn't help but babble on, I felt like I needed to release all the things I never really talked about with anyone, save my mother. Yet he listened intently and it made me happy. I looked back over at Sephiroth when I finished talking about my garden and I noticed him looking at me strangely at me for some reason.  
  
"What's wrong?" I asked him.  
  
"Huh? Um, oh nothing." he said looking away sheepishly.  
  
"You are very silly. Am I boring you? If I am, sorry, I get carried away." I said feeling truly childish talking to an older boy.  
  
"No, not at all, it's just. Ohhhhhhhhhh, My head hurts." Sephiroth groaned.  
  
"I told you not to eat too fast!" I laughed as I headed to my room to get the chessboard. Sephiroth and I decided to play a game of chess together. I came back with it and we began. We played for quite a while, silently.  
  
" Are you sure you want to move there?" he asked timidly as I removed his hand from his rook.  
  
" Yeah why?" was my reply.  
  
"Check mate" he said smiling as his queen took my rook and cornered my king.  
  
"darn!" I said as I hung my head. " That is the nineth time you beat me, which was every time."  
  
We heard a knock at the front door. I got up and ran over to open it. It was Scott and his friends with a large smile on their faces in the peekhole.  
  
I opened the door and glared at Scotts beaming face. He held up his hand holding pictures that were me sitting on the church steps. I was about to break down in tears but Sephiroth stuck his head out from behind me realizing what was happening.  
  
" What a loser you are! You fell for my trick today and I got proof with me!" He taunted waving the pictures back and forth. "We're ganna post these all over town!"  
  
"Then you are Scott, I have heard a great deal about you." Sephiroth said as he stepped outside. "Would you like to tell me why you are so rude to Miss Aeris?"  
  
"What's it to you silver assed Grandpa bitch!" said Scott giving Sephiroth a push. Both boys were real tall and about the same height so it wasn't obvious Scott was a bit scared. Scott looked back at his gang, smiling. "You want to mess with us?"  
  
"Surely, I do." Sephiroth replied as he quickly grabbed Scott and threw him to the ground. Scott and his friends were surprised as Sephiroth pulled a gun to Scott's head. It startled me a bit to see that he had a gun, yet I knew he would not use it. "If you want to hurt her, you must go through me, understand?"  
  
He kicked Scotts side hard enough to knock the wind out of him. I was surprised how angry Sephiroth was. It made me smile. Scott and his friends ran like the wind. Sephiroth smiled as he turned around.  
  
"They will not be back" He assured me. I laughed as we went back in. I caught a glance of him picking up the picture Scott had dropped and looked it over before quickly shoving it in his pocket.  
  
It was eight o' clock and we spent the rest of the time talking while we played video games. I had no idea why, we had just met that day but it felt like we were the best of friends and we had known each other forever, or even he made me feel like I had an older brother. I was happy to have someone to play with me. Just a bit after 8:26, I heard my mother come in the door.  
  
"Sweety, I'm home. How was the dance?" I heard her say.  
  
"I didn't go." I answered as I focused on the game  
  
"What?! But what about Scott? Didn't he take you?" she asked.  
  
"no."  
  
"What? Why?!"  
  
"It was all a prank."  
  
"Damn punks these days, I'm sorry sweaty."  
  
"Who is that?" Sephiroth asked.  
  
"My step-mom," I said.  
  
My mother walked into my room where Sephiroth and I were. She looked so mad that she was turning purple.  
  
"Who in Hells name said that you could ever have a boy in your room while I'm gone?!" My mom raged.  
  
"You." I said coolly.  
  
".No, I never said while I am away. We're going to have a long talk when he leaves." She freaked out.  
  
"Please, mom! I just wanted to play with someone. His name is Sephiroth, he saved me from the Turks, kicked Scott's butt because Scott was being mean and been the nicest guy I have ever met." I said. "I've done my chores. Please, let him stay a little longer."  
  
"Oh, fine. Glad to meet you, Sephiroth." My mom gave up.  
  
"A pleasure to meet you." He said politely, yet probably feeling a bit awkward in the situation.  
  
"Well I'll leave you two to play your games, I'll go start dinner." She turned and left. She poked her head back in the room a moment later. "What should I make you two for dinner? How bout some soup, or some spaghetti?"  
  
"OK"  
  
Sephiroth and I had finished the game and ate dinner.  
  
"What do you want to do now?" I asked, smiling up at him like an eager little sister to her big brother.  
  
"How about a movie." He suggested.  
  
"K!"  
  
We stayed up until eleven watching an action movie. When it was over we got up and stretched.  
  
"I am exhausted" Sephiroth said.  
  
" Me too." I said with a yawn.  
  
My mother walked in the room," There are some people that want to see you Aeris."  
  
"Who?" Sephiroth asked, "You didn't say I was here did you?"  
  
"The Turks, never do I give them information, Why?" she said.  
  
"Sephiroth, go out my window." I told him as my mom headed back to the stairs.  
  
"But aren't they after you too?" He asked  
  
"Don't worry, you said yourself, they are too busy with you and you are going to get killed if you don't!" I said.  
  
"As you wish." He said.  
  
"We will see each other again wont we? You'll come and play with me some more, right?" I asked as he looked down at my eager face. "Please come back and play with me again, I had the best time."  
  
"As you wish" He repeated as I gave a quick hug. He was not sure how to react; yet tentatively he hugged me back. When I drew away from him I smiled up at him. He returned the smile before stepping next to the window and pulled out his gun. He pulled something from his pocket. He put it in my hand and I looked at it. It was a silver ring, a bit big for my childlike fingers. "Here, if we can not see each other again. Keep it. "  
  
"Take this then, if you don't make it back. It's my favorite ribbon, so don't you lose it." I said as I untied the ribbon in my hair and handed it to him.  
  
"Thank you for your hospitality, goodbye." He said as he went through the window.  
  
"Bye big brother." I said as I saw him smile in the faint light. He turned and vanished in the night. I marched off down the stairs to see the damn jerks.  
  
I was relieved that they weren't after me that night. Yet, I had to convince them I wasn't involved with Sephiroth and that I knew nothing of him. They said a boy and his gang, which was probably Scott, told them that a teenager that fit Sephiroth's description had threatened him at my house. I told them that Scott was the kind of guy that would that sort of stuff for his five minutes of fame.  
  
They finally gave up and left. I then took a shower while thinking of Sephiroth and got ready for bed. That night I felt great.  
  
Author Notes: Hello! Was that lame, if so, please understand. It my first one. I'm hoping to make it better with the many chapters that will follow. I'm not telling to poke the purple button to your bottom left hand side of this screen with your cursor but I wouldn't mind knowing how it was; bad or good, it doesn't matter though. Thanks for at least reading it. (Aeris, the white mage of the Cetras) 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
**************10 Years later*************  
  
I had never got to see Sephiroth after that. He was captured by Shinra and sent to become a Shinra soldier, now at twenty-two, I had forgotten about my long awaited friendship with Sephiroth. I have recently met Cloud Strife by selling flowers in the Slums, joined him on his adventures, and made many friends like Tifa, Cid, Barrette, Red XII, Cait Sith, Vincent, and Yuffie. Anyway, we have fought enemies, avoided Shinra, and found that Sephiroth is evil. Unfortunately, I Never remembered that he was my old friend. I have followed him with Cloud and the others, never knowing who he really was. I still wore the ring he gave me but forgot that he presented it to me long ago. I always thought I had received it from my mom's jewelry box. I left off in my life at when I had ran away in the Sleeping Forest after Cloud, the others and I had discovered the temple of the Ancients. I could not take some of the things I have learned and I knew there had to be something done about it all. I needed to call Holy and ask some questions, and the only person who could tell me was my new nemises ..Sephiroth.  
  
It had already been a day since I had run off away from my friends, I was surrounded by plant growth. It was a beautiful sunny day as usual, the rays of light flowed down in rare amounts through the tree tops. Everything was silent as I sat beneath a large Redwood tree. I gazed at the large patch of wild flowers that covered the forest floor. I got up slowly to walk over to the flowers and knelt next to them. I began arranging the earth into a fashionable order. I had done this many times in Midgar, near the slums at the old broken down church. Back there I walked the streets and sold some flowers, making enough money to buy what I needed.  
  
I was sorting out some of the yellow flowers and sighed. I heard soft footsteps from behind me coming closer slowly and silently, then stop not too far back.  
  
"Hello Sephiroth, nice you could stop by." I said without turning my head, still fiddling with the flower. He stood there silently, leaned up next to a tree with his arms folded. He sort of stood out as a black figure among the lush green surroundings. The breeze played in my hair as I picked a flower and got up. "Want one? They smell lovely."  
  
"No." He replied. "Thank you."  
  
"Well are you in a good mood? Because I'm sure as heck am not dead. Why have you not attacked me?" I asked as I carefully put the flower in my pocket. "You haven't even drawn your sword."  
  
"I'm not killing you here. This place is Holy." He answered as he stared at me hard.  
  
"Well okay, then." I started. " That means no profanity, hostility or violence?"  
  
"Fine." he agreed.  
  
"Can I ask you why, the planet, why do you wish to destroy it?." I said as I turned away from him.  
  
"I am not destroying it, but simply gathering it's energy, do you not remember from the temple of ancients? You and I both perfectly know that it's the vile people that populate the planet that will be destroyed, why bother asking a silly question, Cetra?" He said deliberately as I looked back at him solemnly. His sharp gaze penetrated my out looking expression. His gaze was very familiar from long ago."Let me ponder about you, shall I? Why do you care for this planet's inhabitants so much?"  
  
"You don't understand, Sephiroth, I care for the people because they have a meaning in life just like you and me." I told him.  
  
"NO! You are wrong! These people deserves to be destroyed, even if I may not be a true Ancient!" he revolted against me. "These lands belong to the Cetra and their people! Yet once I endure all this planet's energy and with that become like the gods, it won't matter if I have Cetra blood or not."  
  
"These people were created for a purpose, this is not your land." I began to say as I looked down, but Sephiroth cut me short.  
  
"These people have no right to live, they are a poison to this planet, a Damn threat. You, Ancient, and I are the two left to live through. I can't believe you would betray your Cetra life to these pathetic creatures. Either join me or parish with that weak little puppet, Cloud! Mother is not here while you are close, she believes you are a traitor. Weak for those wretches you call humans" Sephiroth spat out, glaring at me as if I werent human. It hurt and I couldn't answer, but just turn away. "If I let the Shinra take over this planet will cease to exist anyway, I might as well use Meteor and put it out of its misery, then the cause would be for the better! I could heal the planet that way once I gain its energy."  
  
"Sephiroth. I know you are better than this." I said half to myself. "I know you are mad but."  
  
"Shut up, Cetra! You know nothing about me! You do not know me!" He made eye contact for the fist time today. His eyes made him look like he was going to engulf with flames. They shined like sparkling emeralds with rage but also sadness. "You don't know what it is like to have been an experiment your whole life! You don't know what its like to be a freak creation or having found out your mother is a hideous monster!! You do not know what it is like to be me!!!"  
  
"Please, let me help you. It doesn't have to be this way. Just try to understand..." I began to say softly as I reached out to touch his arm, but he instantly slapped my hand away.  
  
" I don't want your help! I understand everything. Everything is a living Hell! So do not touch me!" He said pushing me away. I lost my balance which sent me to the ground hard. But before I could regain control, I heard the sharp metallic sound of his masamune sword and caught a glimpse of light that reflected off it as it come flying towards me as fast as lightning. Unable to do a thing, I closed my eyes tightly as time seemed to freeze in place.  
  
I realized after a few seconds that I was still alive or at least I thought. I slowly opened my eyes to see the end of the blade half an inch from my bare neck. I was completely shocked as much as frightened. I looked up to see Sephiroth standing over me and holding his long Masamune against my throat. I wondered why he hasn't killed me yet. I simply closed my eyes.  
  
"If this is my fate finish me off" I said softly and quietly, but loud enough for Sephiroth to hear.  
  
He had been looking at me with fire in his eyes while he still stood his ground. He finally pulled back and looked back towards the forest. The birds had stopped chirping their little songs and it was silent. Sephiroth sheathed his sword in its scabbard and gave me a hard look. I finally stood back on my feet. I then noticed the strangest thing I have ever seen.  
  
"Sephiroth. Your eyes are wet." I said softly, but he only looked away again.  
  
"I thought you said no inhumane type behavior" I said as I brushed myself off. I sensed in his mind that he apologized while he turned to leave. He suddenly turned his head slightly.  
  
"I am sorry." He said quietly as he disappeared into the thicket of the forest. I stared with guilt and pity. He really meant it.  
  
The next day I was walking through the City of the Ancients. I had had a dream last night that told me to "come to us". As I walked there was a faint voice calling me. I couldn't help but to follow, it was like I was in a trance. I walked toward the large temple, and unlike the other buildings here this one seemed to make me chime with excitement. I gave a push to the large wooden door, and inside was nothing but darkness. I quickly closed the door behind me as I raced up the spiral and narrow hall.  
  
A staircase opened up at the top of the spiral hall, I descended down it instinctively. It was made of glass and seemed to be held in the air by magic. I went down and down, dropping down into a large underground cavern with sleek walls with pentacles of crystal shooting upwards from them. At the bottom, a large castle stood, leading to the underground lake. I slowly stepped through the castle hall, listening to the steady pulse of my footsteps echoing. I walked like that of a sleepwalker, expressionless and stepping poised. The hall led to platform that was surrounded by the underground waters. The waters were crystal-clear and serene, untainted by the world of the outside. Light from an unknown source brought up the beauty of the underground chamber and added a cerulean hue to everything within it.  
  
In the middle of the lake there stood an elevated stage in which was also the praying column. Smaller round pillar led upwards to it like stepping stairs. It was where most of the light was located. And it was there that I must go. I made up to it without delay.  
  
I heard a small noise, echoing into another noise so that I could not determine what it was in some part of the large room so I hung onto my staff tightly. After getting over the sound, I knelt on the hard marble floor and laid my princess guard next to me. I began to call upon Holy. I prayed for the Planet, I prayed for the people, but most of all, I prayed for Sephiroth.  
  
Ten minutes past. I had repeated the prayer over repeatedly. I heard the same noise as the one before, but louder and right above me. I stood as still as I could and stopped my chanting, but never opened my eyes. Suddenly, I heard a swoosh in the air, followed by a sharp clank. When I opened my eyes I was stunned to see the Masamune sword that belonged to Sephiroth inches from my position. I quickly stood up searching frantically for its owner. I looked back at the sword that was as taller than I, it stuck from the floor only and inch away from my face.  
  
"I meant to miss." A deep voice whispered. I stood still looking at the sword. He came closer to me slowly, I could hear his footsteps as they echoed through the abandoned temple. I was still in shock as I turned to face him. The glowing light made his eyes sparkle and shine as they penetrated mine. I glanced at his arm as he stuck it out over my shoulder and pulled his sword from the floor. He smiled roughly still looking at me. I was between a rock and a hard spot, and it wasn't pretty. I slid aside and walked towards the railing that surrounded the room while I heard him approach me again. This time I felt his hand touch my shoulder gently which made me shiver, and then he bent towards my ear.  
  
"I do not guarantee that you won't have a headache when you awake again." he whispered softly, and with that I was knocked hard on the back of my head from the butt of his sword. I fell backwards into warm arms and everything went black.  
  
I didn't have a clue on how long I was out or where I was when awoke but I had a lump on my head on where he hit. I slowly massaged the aching spot and took a look around at my surroundings. I was surprised to find myself in a small tent, tucked under a few blankets. I stayed in the bed I awoke in when I could hear someone approaching the tent entrance. When I closed my eyes I could hear the tent flaps open and footsteps of someone walking around a bit, eventually throwing several things on the ground near me. I didn't want them to know I was awake so I could at least sneak out later once whoever was gone. They didn't. The person sat on one of the ground at the foot of my bed and never moved. I shifted uncomfortably and was able to see at the person when I squinted my eyes a little.  
  
Sephiroth!  
  
It was Sephiroth! Watching me like a hawk!  
  
Surely he doesn't like me. We are enemies!! I thought to myself.  
  
He never looked away but only peeled his eyes. " We are leaving in an hour so be ready by then." He told me in a stern voice as he moved over to attend to the things he tossed next to me.  
  
He knew I was awake! I thought as I laid under the blankets never moving. How could he have known that? I wondered and then thought a bit, he must be very powerful if he can sense my consciousness.  
  
He turned to me with a smug look. "Yes, very."  
  
He must be a mind reader, I thought. He only snickered.  
  
The next hour was difficult. I still had no idea where we were. Sephiroth pulled me by my wrist through the silent tunnels, which must have been under the mountains behind the City of Ancients. Earlier, I tried to run out of the tent but Sephiroth caught me in the act so we left earlier. I my surroundings as I went along. The tunnels were dark yet Sephiroth knew where he was going. I watched Sephiroth carefully and waited for the right moment when I could lose him in the dark.  
  
It probably took about fifteen minutes to almost clear the caves rocky terrain, I had tripped on quite a bit of rocks and creating noises. A few cave monsters stepped out to attack the source of the noise. Sephiroth pushed me behind him when I took the advantage. I quickly jerked my arm from his grip and made a break for it, pushing, dodging, and bolting out and around rocks and stalagmites. I scrambled around through the tunnels until I reach an extremely narrow passageway that seemed to lead elsewhere and nudged through it. When I got through into the another channel, I looked back to make sure I was safe. Gasping in relief, I turn around and bumped right into him.  
  
Again, as if he was mocking me, Sephiroth stood there smirking down at me. I was enraged and furious! Not thinking, I snatched my silver dagger form its sheath that I kept in my pocket when I couldn't use my staff and lunged to attack.  
  
Sephiroth retreated before the slashing of my blade, literally jumping into the air landing right behind me with blinding speed. Knowing this, I sprang around and swung my dagger thinking it was a direct hit. He had leaped in time, he was just toying me, and I was more rampageous than ever!  
  
I thrusted more fiercely and severely. Attacking him as he blocked or dodged every blow, mocking me as I tried to strike. I was crazy but I felt triumphed, though there was no way I would ever be able to beat him. For one thing he was much taller than me because, I'm like only 5'3" and he's like 6'1". He for one was also the master Soldier and formal general which made him so very more advanced than I'd ever be.  
  
Sad to say I was tiring and hadn't even made a hit. I gave out a final burst of energy to hit him. And I actually hit!! After I had slashed him, a small visible line of blood began to trickle down his left cheek. I stopped in my tracks as he retreated back with a serious look on his face as he touched the blood with his finger. There wasn't even a scratch when he wiped away the blood. I was nervous, as well as terrified, thinking he would do something terrible to me next. He only grinned. He began to approach me in a steady pace still wearing his expression. I was trembling, and couldn't run.  
  
I got over that feeling as soon as it began, and leaped at him with my knife held ready to strike. The next thing I knew, he was gripping my wrist and had already knocked the knife from my hand. I began to thrash and bite his hand. It was no use. He picked me up and threw me onto his right shoulder and carried me off as I pounded on his back, tugged at his hair, and screamed. Sephiroth quickly stopped my shouting as he mumbled some spell. My voice disappeared and nothing came out of my mouth.  
  
We traveled out of the mountain passage and into a snow covered range. He returned my voice to me once we reach the outside. Two days passed since he has dragged me around from the mountains we came from to the other side finally. I never spoke a word to him. I never ate a bite of food he gave me. I never looked at him or in his direction. I was powerless.  
  
The moon had shown down from above the thicket of a small snow powdered forest. I gazed out of the entrance of the tent. The trees swayed back and forth in the night's breeze.  
  
Why?! Why does Sephiroth want me around for, am I a hostage?, I wondered for hours. Glancing out of the corner of my eye I noticed Sephiroth observing me strangely from his spot to the right of the small kindled fire right outside of the tent. It was like he was enchanted or something. I only thought he was strange to me.  
  
He does seem to be fascinating though, I mean he was tall. real tall. Strong was a big thing, too. His eyes., I began to say in my head but he noticed I was staring at him from inside the comforts of the tent, and he was looking back. I felt myself blush as I spun back around.  
  
What in the heck am I thinking?!, I scolded myself, then began to ponder what his thoughts were.  
  
Two hours later I slept in my own bed while Sephiroth got the ground right outside of the tent, eliminating all hopes of escape through that way. I woke up and made sure he was asleep as I carefully and quietly cut a hole in the back of the tent. Careful to not make a sound, I climbed out of the desecrated tent and ran across the cold snow toward the forest but heard a noise behind me. I spun to see what made it but there was nothing.  
  
I slowly backed up toward the forest still facing the campsite. When I turned to run again, Sephiroth stood three feet from me, leaning up next to a tree. He was watching me closely, and a minute later I sprinted past him as fast as I could.  
  
I could hear him shouting, "Wait! Don't go that.!" but it was already too late. I never knew there was a steep drop in the trees. I yelped in surprise.  
  
Down, down.  
  
Tossed and spinning, crashing, torn, out of all control, I rolled and twisted and plunged, cartweeling toward doom. Branches of trees scraped my knees, sharp rocks cut my skin, and solid, steep snow covered ground bruised my body.  
  
I kept this up for about thirty seconds until I felt something trying to break my fall. Once I stopped sliding down the steep hill, I wearily looked up to see Sephiroth trying to keep his footing in the snow so we wouldn't keep sliding. He then sprang up and carried me out of the ravine. I was half conscious as he held my beaten cold body.  
  
"OWWW!" I screamed as he patted my wounds with alcohol preps and it hurt!  
  
"Hold still" he told me sternly as he grabbed my arm still. "it was your fault"  
  
"Hmmp!" I only pouted. He gently looked at my cut hand as he held it close to his face to observe it. It felt strange to feel the heat of his breath and the warmth of his hands on mine.  
  
"I have seen your powers with healing, Cetra. your body will be as good as new in about a day or so." He said as he held my chin to inspect my face, which made me look into his eyes. Again thoughts about his perfect eyes came into my head from so long ago and they were so enchanting, seductive, and handsome. I noticed he was looking into my eyes and I quickly looked away. He finished fixing me up with a large cure 3 spell and we went to our own beds and fell to sleep. He always wore me out so I couldn't try to escape soon.  
  
Author's Notes: WEEEEEE!!! I'm insanely happy!!! And hyper!!! Many caffeine jolts of coffee (what?). Anyways, I hope you enjoyed that, now I shall write more. Kwii! (Aeris, the white mage of the Cetras) 


	3. chapter 3

Chapter Three  
  
I opened my eyes again only for them to be stung by the pinpricking cold snow that blazed about my body. Trying with all my might, I squinted upward towards Sephiroth who was ahead of me as I dredged through the waist deep snow. He waded through the snow like it was water. He didn't even take notice of the stinging cold and snow that whipped around his figure, his expression upon his face appeared colder than that of the snow. All the while, I was bent over like an elderly individual, facing the blizzard's burning cold. My arms and legs had gone numb about an hour ago, my face felt raw from the wind and unfriendly chill. I had tried to keep the snow off me with my bedding blankets, but to avail. I was tired, cold and since I was so arrogant towards Sephiroth's offerings of food, I was also starving. I wasn't about to admit any of this to Sephiroth, the last thing I wanted to see was a smug, conceited look from him. Still I trudged onwards against the cold blast behind Sephiroth, who walked as if he was walking through a park.  
  
Man, did he make me mad. But I couldn't care less at the time. I was too weak to dwell on rage. Every step I took was a struggle. It was a hard effort to keep balanced in the snow. My muscles were being so resistant. Even if they were numb, I could still feel the cold bite deeper into them by every minute.  
  
I was falling far behind Sephiroth.  
  
Sooo tired. my mind began to consider a short break. I didn't even notice that I had tripped on myself and was falling side ways until I hit the snow with a soft plop. My eyes were heavy with exhaustion, yet I fought to keep them open.  
  
I could see Sephiroth's dark frame walking farther and farther away. Yet after a few seconds, while on the edge of dispersing into the oblivion of the blizzard, I could see him look back towards me. He treaded back towards me as I fell into the grasps of slumber. Within my mind I could feel warmth surround my soul, I resisted sleep no longer.  
  
I awoke tangled within a bundle of brown and black. Upon awakening, I was confused until I realized that alongside my blanket, the great formal general's large overcoat was wrapped around my frail small body. It was warm, and I could see why the cold didn't affect Sephiroth. I snuggled in it a bit longer before I could hear the cry of a wolf.  
  
It startled me once I sat up. There was a pack of ravenous white wolves with only Sephiroth and his great masamune between their teeth and me. I opened my mouth to say something until it dawned on me that Sephiroth was standing in a guard position. with no shirt on. I sat there gawking at his muscular body with my jaw dropped like an idiot. "Eh?"  
  
He didn't seem to notice my conscienceness, much less my incessant staring. I didn't remember that there were large white wolves snarling a couple yards away, and I was still transfixed on Sephiroth when he killed the last one with ease and grace. He turned back to me and noticed me averting my eyes from him as he approached.  
  
"So you have finally awoken? Can you walk?" Sephiroth's voice made me shiver slightly, despite the fact I was mostly warm.  
  
"I think so." I pushed myself to my feet, a bit shaky. I looked at him again, then at his coat. I pulled it from my back and held it out in front of him so he could take it, feeling the coldness return.  
  
"No, I want you to wear it. I don't want you to faint again, now do I?" He smiled tenderly, gently pushing it back into my arms.  
  
"But you, you're. Er, aren't you cold?" I struggled to point out that he was half-naked, yet failed miserably. He laughed when he figured out why I was pointing to his chest.  
  
"I'll be fine, really. Now let's hurry, if we keep a steady pace we can get there before dark." Sephiroth said before turning towards his destination. I fumbled within his large jacket, tripping more than once. Once again, he came back and helped me up.  
  
"Sorry, it's just your coat thingy is a bit long." I said in embarrassment. He let out a laugh and approached me. I didn't know what he was doing until I was in his arms again. I blushed violently as he began walking again. And I hate to admit it was very appealing. Soon, I had snuggled up to his bare chest and was enjoying the ride.  
  
On and off, I would sleep in his arms as he trudged on. I lost track of time yet when dark came, I could see lights of a village snuggled between two mountain ranges. When I looked upward to Sephiroth's face, his expression seemed blank and empty. Nothing warned us when we were knocked to the ground. Sephiroth was atop of me. His weight forced the breath from my lungs and would have crushed my body had he not put his arms out to keep most of it off me. Sephiroth didn't hesitate to push off the ground, and I could almost swear I saw him blush before he had sharply looked away and toward the fiend that had attacked us.  
  
A Snow strutted five feet away. Before Sephiroth could slash the she-beast, the Snow pounced over and wrapped two delicate looking arms around Sephiroth's face, casting the spell Fascination. I let out a quick laugh, 'there is NO way that's going to effect the great Sephiroth. Eh? Great? What am I talking about?! Uh, oh. What is he doing?' I began to think as I watched his stance change. Instead of in full battle mode, Sephiroth had went to a casual posture and took a slow step forward. My jaw went slack when I saw how easily he could be manipulated by the Fascination spell. 'I ought to learn that spell myself, then I'd be able to control him! What?! Quit think this nonsense and stop that Snow!' My mind screamed at me. I heaved a groan and stood up, dropping Sephiroth's coat from my shoulders and into the snow.  
  
"Hey! Quit you skank and get lost!" I screamed at the Snow. She didn't take any notice of me and continued her charm on Sephiroth. I growled and looked around for something to use. My eyes caught sight of Sephiroth's materia. "I could use it, if only I could get it off him...."  
  
I tried my first approach to his materia while the snow was busy wiggling her hips for him. I tried to unclasp a mastered fire from Sephiroth's belt, yet I could get it to pop out. The Snow noticed my plan and sent a blizzard- like attack at me, chilling me thoroughly. While I was occupied with the pain of the cold, the Snow darted up to me with a quick jab with her fist, sending me skidding on the snow a few feet. I sat up, trying to recover, and felt my lip. It was bleeding. The Snow went prancing back towards Sephiroth, now rubbing herself against the captivated man and stroking him. I yelled at the Snow, though she didn't listen. "HEY! GET OFF OF HIM NOW! HOW DARE YOU!"  
  
Daggers were now in my eyes as I stood up again. I looked around on the ground until I saw what I was looking for. I grabbed a large stone, almost as big as a baseball, and chucked it at her. The rock collided square into her face, as I sprinted back to getting the materia out of Sephiroth's belt. The Snow had fallen to the ground and was now getting up on her feet again. She wiped the blood from her once beautiful features of her face and glowered at me fiercely. She prepared to cast her blizzard spell again, yet I unclasped the Materia just in time.  
  
"FIRE 2!" I shouted, using my magic power to cast the spell upon the sluttish Snow. She shrieked a bloodcurdling scream and fell unto the snow, most likely unconscious. I found another stone, much larger than the first and ran over to greet her body with it. I pummeled her head and body repetitively with the rock until the Snow's blue blood stained the diameter of her body. I was screaming at her body the whole time. "So you like hitting REAL pretty women, huh?! Damn SKANK! Might I suggest you visit Don Corneo, you whore!"  
  
I could hear uncontrollable laughter from behind me. I dropped the rock, it falling unto the corpse of the Snow, and turned to see Sephiroth rolling unto the ground in laughter. He tried to regain his cool and wiped away his tears of laughter. "Ohhh! Heheh, that was great! You, little miss 'I'm innocent,' beating the Snow bloody from jealousy!"  
  
"I- I wasn't jealous! She hit me!" I detested. Sephiroth came over, still sniggering, and took his materia back from my possession and attacked it back to his belt.  
  
"Come now, you wouldn't beat her to death for just hitting you." Sephiroth said.  
  
"I had to stop her from charming your little mind! Idiot!" I screamed at him in anger.  
  
"I wasn't under her spell, I put on the little act just to see how you'd react. I didn't expect you to be so protective." Sephiroth told her. "I could have ended the whole thing with a sweep of my sword if it got too out of control."  
  
"You are lying!" I claimed ignorantly.  
  
"I never lie." He said smoothly.  
  
"...... I bet you were enjoying it though." I stated, turning away from him. He laughed again.  
  
"Nah, besides, I'd rather have a real woman instead of monster." He told me. I looked at him suspiciously.  
  
"Don't get ANY ideas!" I told him. 'Is that why he kidnapped me?!'  
  
"Ha! Don't worry, you're not a real woman, only a cetra child." He laughed. I glared at him obnoxiously. We began to continue on. Sephiroth teasing me the whole way to the Icicle Village.  
  
"'Hey, get off of him!' Oh, little cetra, I didn't know you cared!" He said mockingly.  
  
"Shut up!" I barked. I was glad when we came to the village. Yet, my happiness faded back into despair when the Innkeepers at the few inns there told us that they were booked for the week from skiers and snowboarders.  
  
"I-It's just that time of the year. Y-You have to book your reservation five days in advance, we're quite sorry." They all told us nervously, they all knew what Sephiroth looked like and my traveling cohort matched him right on the mark.  
  
"Oh smart and great kidnapper, what are we going to do now, Sephiroth?" I asked with anger and sarcasm dripping from every word. He didn't answer. We walked through the town aimlessly until we were in front of an old house. Sephiroth looked at it as if he was studying it. I at first didn't notice it until I turned around and saw him staring at it. A man was walking down the street and Sephiroth went over to question him.  
  
"Is there anyone living in that house?" Sephiroth demanded. The man was startled to see the great general before him now. He shook his head in response.  
  
"There hasn't been a soul in there since the scientist and his strange wife were taken into custody almost twenty-two years ago. It was boarded up by Shinra, Inc." He told Sephiroth, not as nervously as the innkeepers. Sephiroth came back to me and the man went back to his own things.  
  
"Soooooo, what are we going to do?" I asked. He pointed at the house he had been inspecting.  
  
"We're going to stay here for the night." Sephiroth told me.  
  
"Well it's better than nothing." I muttered as I followed him to the front door. I was stunned when he kicked down the door. "Uh, ever heard of the door knob?"  
  
"I'll fix it later." He told me as we entered the house. He picked up the door while I looked around. The entrance was full of machines and computers, it looked like a lab. However, the power was down and it was dark inside. Sephiroth had replaced the door and walked past me into the middle of the room. "Stay here, I'm going into the cellar to turn the power back on."  
  
"Uh, be-" I immediately stopped myself. I was just about to tell him to be careful. 'Nope, not me! As if I'm going to give him the pleasure of my worry! Ha! I couldn't care less if he was eaten by one of those Marlboros.' He was staring at me while I was busy with my internal discussion, and I noticed. "What?"  
  
"You were saying something?" He asked with a sharp smile coming to his lips. "Maybe, 'be careful?' perhaps?"  
  
"As if! Now get out of my sight, before I gag at the thought of you." I told him embarrassed, turning away so that he didn't notice my blushing cheeks. I listened to him let out a conceited chuckle as he went into the other room in search of the basement door. I went back to looking around at the various buttons and equipment. A door across the room from the entrance stood leading into the kitchen, most likely covered with sheet after sheet of dust. I poked around a bit longer until the power came on. The lights above all shot on, one after another, a few short-circuiting as well, but giving just enough light needed throughout the house. The machinery began turning on with the beeping of starting back up. Computer lights flashed and screens lit up. I watched it all while leaning on a sturdy oak desk in the middle of the room.  
  
"Well, I wonder what all these things are for." Sephiroth asked aloud, startling me. He had stepped up right behind me while I was distracted with the computers and machines and made me jump when he spoke. He was good at doing that, and he always had a smug grin from the results he had. He ran a finger in a circle on the table, marking the dusty area with cleanliness. "There are several bedrooms downstairs. Go pick one and see if you can fix it up for yourself tonight."  
  
"Fine!" I retorted and walked out of the room into the hall to where he left for the power. I followed the hall, stopping next to a window and looking out unto the snow covered ground. 'I could easily escape.'  
  
"I wouldn't if I were you." He yelled from the room I came from. I sighed in anger and continued on towards the stairs. When I reached the bottom I was in a living area of sorts. There was an old TV, couch, entertainment items and such. It surprised me that no one had stolen anything. I found the master bedroom and decided to steal it from any of Sephiroth's choices. "Everything's so dusty. I'll have to wash these in order to sleep on them."  
  
I remembered passing a laundry room near the bathroom so I stripped the bedding and brought it to the laundry room, hoping that the washer and dryer still worked. Luckily they did, even after twenty years of no use. While I waited for them to finish, I dusted off the furniture in the master bedroom. I looked over the many items and pictures in the room. In many of the pictures there was a middle aged blonde woman with blonde hair and a beautiful brunette that almost resembled me. It gave me an odd and mysterious familiar feeling when I looked at them, almost as if I knew them from somewhere. However, I shrugged the thought of that off and went back to cleaning. Within an hour, I had them washed and dried and back on the bed. Sephiroth came in to check on me without a word.  
  
"Yes? What do you want?" I asked him in a serious tone as he stared at me. "The couple that lived here before must have been nice. These pictures show that they were very happy, and they had a baby girl. I wonder what happened to them? Sephiroth? What's wrong?"  
  
Sephiroth was staring at me with an almost solemn look and had I noticed it. Worry was beginning to creep into my mind. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it again. The former general inhaled slightly and tried again. "These people... T-they were your parents. You were that baby girl."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Author Notes: Hey! Ohhhhhhh! So exciting! I have gotten back to my beloved first fanfic! I'm happy! I have been inspired by... uh, nothing, but I just felt like continuing this. Yay! I will continue it some more! Happiness! Review ten more and the next chapter shall be up. Oh, and go to my web site!  
  
www.geocities.com/aeriscetra22/ 


End file.
